Improvement



B1 F. JosLYN.

' Revolver.

Ptented Aug. 4, 1863.

To all whom it mag/concern:

vcartridges from the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN n; JosILYN, `on sroNINeroN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT I N RavoLviNe FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent'No. 39,405, dated August 4, 1863,-a11'tedated May-26,1853.;

' Be it known that I, BENJAMIN' F. J osLYN,

l of Stonington, New London county, Connecticut, hve invented. certain Improvements in Breec -Loading Revolving Fire-Arms and I' do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactvdescription of the sameLreterence beinghad to the accompanying drawings, .and to the lelters of reference' marked. thereon. My invention relates to improvements in that class ot' revolving fire-arms in which metallic cartridges are used; and my improve- V ments consist, first, of' a device for prev-enh ihg-the spent cartridges frominterlcring with .thefree rotation of the cylinder; secondly, of a novel device for operating the cylinder through the movement ofthe hammer; thirdly, of a device servingthe double purpose of a center-'pin-i'or the a suitable instrument for removing the spent chambers ofthe cylinder.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and. use my invention,I will `now proceed to describellts construction and operation.

0n reference to theaccornpanying drawings, which form a part ot' this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved breech-loading revolving' 'fire-arm; Fig. 2,'a sectional planen the line l2,

1; Fig. 5, a transverse section ou line 5 6, Fig. l; Fig. 6, an end view; Figs. 7 and S, detached views of pa-rtsv of the lire-arm; Fig. '9, a View of the rear of the cylinder; and Fig. 10 a longitudinal section of thesame on 'the line 7 8, Fig. 9. i

Similarletters refer to similar parts through- Fig.. 9. 0n the front end of the cylinder D is a tupistol', an extension, Whichforms the stock or being secured tothe front j for the reception' front of the cyiinder and" be understood that this Fig; 1;'Figs. 3 `and 4, transverse sections on` the line 3 4, Fig..

'bailar' projection, b, which 'is arranged to t snugly in., and, when necessary, to slide to and fro in a groove, fpformed'in `the frame A. (See Fig. 2.)

In the frame, at the rear of the cylinder, is a circular openingin which the cylindrical block E lits snugly, and through this block passesa pin, c, the -endof which lits. intoa recess in the projection aot the cylinder, a portion of the head Fof the'pin fitting in the opening of the frame which contains the block, in which position the head'is retained by the spring C, the latter having a lip, c', the purpose of which will appear'hereinafter.'

It will be ,observedgon reference to Figs. 2, 3, and,'4 that a portion of the front end of the block E is cutaway, leavinga semi-cylindrical projectioinin which is a longitudinal opening. of the pin h, the outer'eud of which is 'so bevetclasto'enga-ge properlyin' thejdepressions 'of the vpro'zection a, a spiral spring in the opening and at the rear of the pin 'tending to force the latter toward fthe cylinder,l while the pin is retainedAv-ithin proper limitsby a projection passing into an oblong slot in the block E, as seen in Fig. 2. It should block E is arranged to V'turn freely in the frame, butto have no longitudina-l movement.V

Between the roar of the -cylinder and the frame int-ervenes a breech-plate, Gr', in which is a central opening of such'shape and dimensions as to allow pin e and pin lr,

a lug, el, fitting frame, towhich screw, e, Fig. 2.

the plate having on one side against the side :n of the In the faceof the plate G is adepression,

the edges of Wliich'ar beveled and adapted to the beveled edges of a recoil-plate, H, which tsloosely ima-nd soas tobereadily withdrawn,

vertically l'rom, the plate G when `the latter is detached from the frame.

situatedfas to form the rear ot' one of the chambers of the cylinder when the t'ront ofthe chamber coincides with the b ore ofthe barrel, the face of the recoil-plate being slightly-convex and projecting beyond the face of the .breech-plate, while -the inside is concave ini Fig.- 7. The recoil-plate, being somewhat loose in the` recess of the breech-plate, is capable of for the free movemento'f the thc plate -issecured by' a. set' This recoil-plate is so` the hammer I as it falls upon orifice.

yielding to a limited extent at the moment the discharge.

In the upper edge of the recoil-plate is cut a' notch, j, through which passes the point 7c of the edge of the flange or enlargement ofthe metallic cartridges used in connection with my improvements.

On thehammer-pin Lis secured a cam-sh aped lever, N, having the usual notches, in which engages the upper end of the trigger O, the mainspring P being connected to the arm s ot' this From the face ofthe leverN projects a pin, to which is connected-the lower end of the connecting-rod n, the upper end ofthe latter being jointed to a pin on that part ofthe block'from which, asbefore remarked,a portion is cutaway.

To' a spindle, Q, attached to the frame' below the cylinder, is hin ged a lever having two arms, p and q, thelatter having an orifice for the reception ofthe sliding rod r, the head s' of which is pressed against the edge ot' the cam-shaped lever'N by a spiral spring contained in the-said A dat spring, t, is secured at one end to the under side of the frame,the other end bearing againstthe undr side ofthe arm p, the rounded portion of which is arranged to tit in slight de pressions formed in the cylinder at such points that when the end of the arm is in one ofthe said depressions one ofthe chambers `of the cylinder must coincide with the bore ot' the barrel.

To a projection, J, beneath the barrel, and near the muzzle, one end cfa rod, K,is so jointed that it can be moved-laterally, the rod fitting snugly, lbut so as to slilde freely,in the tubular rod K', the rear end of which passes .through the frame A and into the tubular projection b ofthe cylinder,.thus'-formhg thepin on which.

the front end ot the said cylinder revolves. A

spiral' spring contained withinthe tubular rodl 'K, and bearing against -the rod K, tends to maintain both rodsin their proper position whennot required for the use explained'hereinaft-er.

On vcocliing the hammer the lever N will turn in the direction of its arrow, and through the connecting-rod u cause the cylindrical block E' (which, while the hammer was down, occupied the position shown in Fig. 3) to turn in the direction ot` its arrow. friction between its edge and the headof the pin r causes the-arm q to be elevated, and the arm 1o to be consequently depressed, free from the depressions in the cylinder, thereby cansing the latter to be released. The pin l1., owing to the movementimparted to it by Athepartial lturning of the lblock E, will, as it bears against the abrupt side cfone of the depressions inthe projection a of the cylinder, more the latter round to an extent suicient to bring into a line with the ho e of the barrel that chamber of theeylinder next to Athat which had, prior to the movement of the cylinder,

As the lever N turns the=4 coincided i withthe said bore. When the hammer .has

been brought to the position of lfull-cock the' arm q is released, and the spring t'forces the arm p against the cylinder, the head of the arm entering one ofthe depressions, so that the cylindr is retained in a proper .position prior to the falling ot the hammer, and will remain in that position during the descent of the hammer and until the latter is again. moved back.

On releasing the hammer thelever N is turned by the action of the spring P in the direction contrary to that pointed out by the arrow, the hammer striking the edge of the liange of the cartridge and discharging the contents of the same. During this movement ot the lever the block Eis turned back to its former position. The pin e, sliding over the inclined side ofthe depression in the projection a of the cylinder, takes its place in the adjacent depression preparatory to a repetition ot' the above-described movements.

In tire-arms of the class to which my improvements relate the free turning of the cylinder is obstructed to a greater or less degree, owing to `the heads of the cartridges being forced by the back against the explosion of the contents breech-plate, thereby causing an undue friction, which has been the great objection to the use ot metallic cartridges in revolving firearms. The main object in my present improvements has been to overcome this difficulty.

It should be l understood that the heads of the cartridges in the cylinder, discharge in succession, only just in contact, with the convex face of the recoil-plate H, so that no undue force is required in revolving the cylindei` and transfer'- ring the heads of the'cartridges in succession to a position coinciding with the recoiLplate, as little force is required in my improvements to move the head of a spent ycartridge from the recoil-plate, forthe following reasons:

prior to their tridge is forced with a violent concussion against the recoil-plate, andthe latter yields slightly to the force of the shock. The instant the latter is expended, however, the plate, owing to its elasticity, recovers its .former position, pushes back or compresses the head of the cartridge, so that it is either clear of the plate or bears to lpresent no l'obstruction to theft-ee turning ofthe cylinder. l

When the empty cartridge-cases have to be discharged from the chambers preparatory to reloading, the hammer is brought to halfcock,

the spring cv is depressed below'the edge of the head F ofthe pin c, and the latter is withdrawn until arrested hy the lip-c of the spring, which prevcnts'its furthe-r outward movement. The tubular rod Klis then pushed'forward .until its end is released from the projection b of the cyl` inder, aswell as fromthe frame, when, by a lateral movement of thecylinder-,ivhich is now 'free from the pins on which it had turned, it

come in contact, but i The moment the discharge takes place the spent carso lightly against the same as 'ber the cylinder may be thrown out to the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the projection b passing along the groovef of the l'rame, and the projection aymoving'in. the oblong slot in the breech-plate until it strikes the edge e, Fig. 5, which prevents any further outward movement of the cylinder. The rods K' and K4 are then retu'rned to one side and the rod K drawn back so that its end may enter one ot' the chambers ofthe cylinder and the empty cartridge-case,

and be used as an instrument for pushing the -latter fromthe chamber.

`tion to be again discharged.

I do not desire to claim broadly the use, in revolving fire-arms, ot` a breech-plate with a projection against which the head ot' the metallic cartridge bears when brought to a posilsion to coincide with the bore but;

of the barrel,-

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In connection with revolving tire-arms arranged for use of metallic cartridges, a re coil-plate on the frame, or on a breech.-plate attached to the frame, situated at the rear of the cartridge when the latter is in position. to be discharged, and operating so as to permitthe free turning of the f cylinder, as herein described.i

2. The block E, arranged to turn in the frame onthe movement of the hammer, and having a yielding pin, h, adapted to the recesses in the rear of the cylinder, thc Whole being arranged and'operating substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3.*The rod K and tubular rod K', with itsl spring, the Whole being connected to the barrel, substantially as described, and 'arranged to serve the double purpose of a front centerfpin for the cylinder and an instrument for discharging the spent cartridges.

In testimony whereotl have signed my namel to this specitication sciibing Witnesses.

in the presence of two sub- B. F. JOSLYN. Witnesses:

JAMES H. PARSONS,

JACKSON HARRINGTON.

said recoil-plate beingz 

